Friday, December 28, 2012

So now that Christmas presents are opened and enjoyed, I can post pictures of the things I was madly trying to get done by Christmas morning. Though I didn't totally complete them, I got them near enough that another day was enough to finish. I think I will knit for awhile!

These were for my son, the first three are obviously wall art, the last is a car trashbag made from cool glow in the dark fabric for my biology major star! Tomorrow, the things for my daughter....

Thursday, December 13, 2012

Last night my daughter was in a bad car accident. No one else was involved, and we don't know exactly what happened, but I am sitting here in neurological ICU watching a machine breathe for her. She has a bad concussion, and a broken rib and broken scapula. We'll see about other things as time goes by. What is the worrisome thing is that she had a sort of seizure while they were working on her, and there is no apparent reason. That is why she is here. She is sedated, and under pain meds, and when they let her come out from under, she is agitated and only semi responsive. I can only wait, and pray.

Saturday, December 8, 2012

Dear Hubby got the outside lights up, and the snowman panel I whipped up last year. Speak about a fast project! I have another panel and this winter I will make a quilt out of it... but that is for after Christmas. I have been baking cookies... yummy Orange Snaps from the Lake Eden Cookbook, and then, because I can never let well enough alone, I added chocolate chips to the snaps. Orange and chocolate is a combination made in heaven, to be sure. I still have the Ginger Spice cookies, and Cherry Cookies, and Peppermint cookies to go, and if I have time, Mexican Wedding cookies.... messy, but worth it. I think I will have to have some help baking, if I am to finish.

Friday, December 7, 2012

I can't post much of what I am doing, since it pretty much would give away what the various members of my family are getting for Christmas.... So, the next few weeks will be mostly filled will other stuff. Enjoy the wonder of Howard Shore's Music!

Thursday, December 6, 2012

The creator of this wonder is now teaching at G Street Fabrics! Betty Jo Tatum has another class starting this weekend, and then again in February. Her technique is wonderful, you should see her Hubble Telescope Quilt! She is so talented!

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

It hasn't been an easy year, in some ways. It isn't likely to be an easy year next year either. I am listening to this more often, remembering that yes, there really is something worthwhile, something good. My quilting and other sewing has helped me maintain a perspective, and so has my SCA activity. But overall, it has to just come from inside, from my core of being. Everything I do contributes to who I am, but there is a kernel of me deep inside that isn't dependent on what I do, or what is done to me. It comes from God. No one can take it away. That is what I must reach towards in the end.

Thursday, November 29, 2012

Is there anyone quite like JRR Tolkien? Oh, I wish I had his diction! The Wellington premiere of the Hobbit happened last night, pretty cool stuff. I can't imagine anyone doing it better than Peter Jackson, though he does have a free hand with the screenplay, I am afraid. But I am enough of a realist to realize that what works in a book wouldn't work on the big screen. Not in a direct translation anyway. Still, the books are such gold, it would be hard for the films to live up to the potential. I think PJ did pretty darn well in LOTR, and figure he will do even better in Hobbit. After all, he is older, wiser, and has had some practice! My wonderful husband has already purchased the tickets...he says he will go with me even if I wear funny clothes....

Sunday, November 25, 2012

This is the look I get when I interrupt the serious grooming of the border cat to move something from under his nose. He is rather annoyed with me, though I didn't actually touch him or shift him or otherwise truly disturb him. But I drew his attention, and that took it away from a far more important task! It isn't actually a stinkeye, but pretty darn close.

My son has requested wall art for Christmas, and I am planning several things. I am so happy that he has asked me for some art! I think Meg could use some too, though I don't know if she wants any. Her apartment is as bare as his... barer in fact. My little brain is working overtime planning out stuff for a wildlife managers walls.... I have too many ideas, actually. I have to narrow it down. Fish, birds, dall sheep, bison, wolves, all have possibilities. Hmmmm......

By the way, go over to Lily's Quilts for a great giveaway... I love this collection of Kaufman's.

Saturday, November 24, 2012

I have never dressed up in costume for a movie before.... But I am considering it for this one! I have started playing the music from Lord of the Rings to get me in the mood. In between Christmas songs, of course. Advent has two meanings this year... Is that a bad thing?

Friday, November 23, 2012

I wasn't at all sure about this collection of fabrics when it came in... it is Berenstein Bears, mostly, and in colors I don't often work with. I am also not a traditional quilter, so this isn't my style, either. None the less, I am pretty darn happy with how it looks, and hope the recipient will be too. One of my friends had her first grandbaby, a boy, last December. I wanted to do a quilt, but I am the queen of procrastination, and very unsure of my quilting skills, and didn't at all like the first quilt I began. So, time passed. I was determined not to let Nick turn one year old without the quilt being presented. Tada! Finished! I even learned how to do a double binding with an easy join as a bonus.... all in all, a good project.

Oh, and Thanksgiving was a complete success, though a bit on the quiet side. This is the first time Gil and I have had Thanksgiving alone since 1982, when 14" of snow fell in Kitsap County Washington, literally bringing that whole section of the state to an abrupt halt. No power for 4 days, including Thanksgiving, but we soldiered on. We had a woodstove insert with just enough room on top to cook the side dishes, and a tiny weber grill that I used to grill the turkey and taters. We ate by candlelight, and watched the stars shine on the blue tinged snow, and listened to the foxes bark. Yes, I know foxes are not native to western Washington, but a few escaped the zoo years before, and bred a little colony. I hope they are still there. Late that night, the hooting of an owl put me to sleep, and I have loved owls ever since. Stars, and foxes, and owls. A magical combination.

Saturday, November 17, 2012

I ended up with two tables at the craft show, since the crafter next to me didn't show up. I had enough room, therefore, and it was a decent show. More traffic than last year, though not a lot of money spent, overall. About a third of the crafters who were there last year and before didn't come out. I guess the economy is just really bad, and people don't think it is going to get much better. Some of the things I thought would fly out didn't move at all, and things I was hesitant to bring did well. Mostly it was not the expensive stuff, and the people all around me were confirming the same thing. The inexpensive goods moved much better than the pricey stuff, in pretty much all categories. Gonna be a tough next four years financially, I suspect.

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

I am madly getting ready for the craft show.... except I somehow just took yesterday off..... well, I must have needed it. But I have the paperwork (yuck) and organization left to do, and then it is time to load up and move out to St Tim's Church and School for their 32nd Annual Craft Show.... I really do enjoy this, I start early each year, and still end up scrambling at the end. Hmmmm, how can that be? Oh well, NEXT year I will finish in September, really I will.

This year I will be adding a few baby quilts and quilted table toppers for a change, though the main things will be stuffies, as usual. I am still working on their names. Names are important, almost as important as their faces. Once their faces go on, they really develop a personality. This gentleman is an executive at Apple, a bit corporate, but a little Bohemian too. I think he made the collar himself, but I didn't ask how he got the feathers.... I don't think I want to know. Knotches on a belt? Surely not.....

Friday, November 9, 2012

These are the last two table toppers for G Street's Quilt Club. In all three (see earlier post, First of Three) I used the Scrap Therapy grid panel by QuiltSmart. So easy to use and makes your seam junctions perfect!

This is a close up of the second photo. It is a machine embroidered snowflake (done on the Bernina 830) with Swarovski crystals attached. I love the blue and white theme, and the sparklies!

There is so much you can do with this product, or with the Bosul and Pellon brand grid too.

Saturday, November 3, 2012

While my garb isn't quite so spiffy, I will be going down to Norfolk next week for the Marinus Investiture, and seeing lots of friends I don't get to see nearly often enough. I have finished my kirtle and undergown, and am working on a chiton type apron for court. I have a plain linen apron for when I help in the kitchen. I have my coat all ready too, and the collar is very snuggly and furry. I would like a whole fox pelt though. The winter seems to be angling towards cold this year! The feast will be VERY yummy... though, maybe I will let the others eat most of the borscht. And at the end, CHEESECAKE! Of course, since the Cheesecake Baroness is the head cook. Yum. Now, where is my knife again?

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Monday, October 29, 2012

While I don't panic about weather related issues, it is well to be prepared for whatever may come along. Hurricane Sandy is ramping up, it is getting dark, and the power companies are shutting down the cherrypickers until daylight tomorrow, after the wind drops to safer levels. As a SCAdian, I have a lot of candles, lamps and flashlights, along with most of the other things needed for such an emergency.

So far, the rain has been steady but not so bad, and the wind been steady at about 30 mph, gusting to 45. They expect it to get a whole lot worse though. The eye is ashore now, and will make its run north of us while it is dark. We are on a hill, so flooding is not likely, and hopefully no trees will come down on our bedroom tonight! It is our friends to the north I worry about. May God protect you all.

Friday, October 26, 2012

I have become somewhat enamoured of the fusible grid for quilting we sell. It seems not too many people know about it, so I am doing three projects for Christmas to promote it. If it can make even a moderate beginner like me enjoy the process and be successful, then anyone can get a boost from it. Of course, if you are a fabulous expert quilter who can make seams match in your sleep, there is nothing to see here, move along.

For the rest of us, you just figure out how you want it to look, cut a zillion 2" squares, fuse them down, stitch 1/4" seams, add a border, and Hey Presto! A perfectly aligned table topper in a day. Or two, if you don't work on it all day. In fact, cutting the squares took longer than sewing it did, and that only took an afternoon. This is the beautiful "Sentimental" collection by Moda, with a little of their "Merry Medley" thrown in too. I love both of the collections, and will do more with them.

Friday, October 19, 2012

The World Turned Upside Down! This is the anniversary of an important day in American history. I also love this sort of Tattoo. I chose not to play a reenactment of the battle or surrender, but instead, to let you enjoy the music of a wonderful Fife and Drum Corps. Pronounced "Core". Just in case.

Thursday, October 18, 2012

Heather Dale is one of my favorite musicians, truly a beautiful voice and a talent for lyrics and music. The eerieness of this is sort of fitting for this time of year, even if the subject is Arthurian.
The story of Mordred is a sad one, and told in many ways in many stories, but the ones where Morgaine (or Morgause, in some cases) knew he would die, and sent him to destroy Arthur anyway are the saddest. I can't imagine using a child of mine so selfishly, to exact revenge, knowing it would would be the death of my son, as well. There is a dance choreographed to this that I learned at Pennsic a couple years back... the man is brought from close control to seeming freedom, but always truly controlled by the woman. Quite well done.

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

So I was tasked with coming up with a table centerpiece for Thanksgiving for our quilt club. My Manager is doing a table runner, and picture frames, but I wanted to do something kind of simple, but detailed too. This is what I came up with. Each piece is a simple concept, but together, I think they have a pretty good punch. I think my favorites are the carrots. I woke up in the middle of the night with an idea on how to get the bumpy texture and little roots. (I think I should add some roots coming out the sides, though!) My mind is already onto the ideas for next month.....

Sunday, September 30, 2012

Though I am so very glad and proud top be a Blue Star Mom, this is one upgrade I have no wish for. To each and every one of you Gold Star Mom's, God bless you and hold you in the palm of his hand, where he holds your child.

GOLD STAR MOTHER By Keo R. Gathman

As she stands beside his grave On yet another Memorial Day, She remembers the boy she sent away And how he became the man resting here today. His heroes didn't become famous playing ball. In fact most of their names were never well known at all. They went to work wearing camouflage green and desert brown, Earning their reputation as the toughest warriors around. When he first saw them in dress blues The heart within her little boy knew, That nothing short of becoming one of them would do. Time all too quickly passed by As childhood things were put aside, And his heart's desire would not be denied. "I love you, Mom" he said one day "But the time has come for me to go away," And she knew his decision she couldn't sway. Through tears she tried so hard to keep inside She told her baby boy goodbye. Writing him letters nearly every day She often took the time to pray, "Lord be with my boy today." "Help him clearly see the man I know that he can be, Grant him his most cherished dream, Let him come home, a United States Marine." When the time came for him to go to war She feared as she had never feared before, Prayed there would be no knock on her front door. They came that day dressed in their blues And though in her heart she already knew, She cried out "No, it can't be true." The man child she had sent away Was at last coming home to stay. He never doubted what they did was right, And he never wavered in the fight. Forever and always as in his childhood dreams, Her boy remains a United States Marine.

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Arrrr, Matey, Happy Talk Like a Pirate Day!
Since this is also Tolkien Week, and I am on my own for dinner, I will be having a hobbity pirate dinner! Mushrooms, bacon and bread.... what else could a hobbit pirate want? Now to find a crew and ship..... not all hobbits are afraid of water, you know. I must have Stoorish blood as well as Fallowhide!
Later today, Peter Jackson will come out with another trailer for the first Hobbit movie..... probably won't have any pirates, but I still can't wait!

Friday, September 7, 2012

The first full day of Pennsic 41 dawned clear and beautiful. The ground had firmed up over night and we began setting up tents.

eventually we got mine up, and it was right next to the road. I couldn't fit my kitchen/sitting area though, and knew I would miss it. Still, 30feet from the privies is a good thing at 0200!

I set up inside the next day, a real scorcher, and as always, my tent was pretty darn comfy.

The following day, I began my volunteering. This is the view from the Lost and Found tent, right next to Security Point. I caught my Watch shift rides there, as well as my Disability cart rides. Fun stuff, and useful too. I did 12 scheduled shifts and a couple unscheduled when there wasn't anyone to do them. Or there was a big storm, or whatever. I didn't realize when I first started going to Pennsic how many volunteers were needed. Now I love to know I help make the whole thing work so people can have fun. I enjoy that, and it really isn't onerous. If you attend Pennsic...or any event... Consider volunteering. You'll have fun, and facilitate others doing the same!